1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an extract of herbal and, more particularly, to an extract of Asplenium nidus L. apt to treat of prostate diseases.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prostate, located around bladder outlet and surrounded by urethra, is a part of male's reproductive system.
Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) refers to hyperplasia of prostate stromal and epithelial cells, and generally occurs on male in fifty, usually resulting in the formation of large, fairly discrete nodules in the periurethral region of the prostate. Progress of the benign prostate hyperplasia is unknown so far. Instead, it is believed androgens (testosterone and related hormones) and ages play a permissive role in the occurrence of the benign prostate hyperplasia. When suffering from the benign prostate hyperplasia, enlargement of prostate will compress the urethral canal to cause partial or sometimes virtually complete obstruction of the urethra, and thus, interfering with normal flows of urine and leading to voiding dysfunctions, such as interruption, urorrhagia, incontinence and residual urine. Seriously, it may also lead to uremia or renal failure. Although benign prostate hyperplasia may not increase incidence to prostate cancer, it usually causes false positive in the diagnosis of prostate cancer due to similar symptoms among each other, and accordingly deferring a preferable time for treatment, or affecting patient's mood somehow.
A conventional therapy of benign prostate hyperplasia generally depends on surgery or drug, but primary on drug treatment due to the prognosis and risk of surgery. Conventional drugs for benign prostate hyperplasia include alpha adrenergic blockers, such as Minipress, Dibenyline, Hytrin, Doxaben, and Xatral, and hormone inhibitor. However, the said conventional drugs may lead to some side effects, such as hypotension, incontinence, nasal congestion, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction, and even lead to complications as cooperating with other drugs (medicines for common cold, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, for example), bringing about unbearable illness to patients. Furthermore, in view of researches, it may increase the incidence to prostate cancer and breast cancer after taking the said drugs for a long-term.
Recently, traditional medicine (TM) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has getting popular and important in Europe and United States, and accordingly, traditional herbs having therapeutic effects on prostate diseases, including lycopene, pumpkin seeds, saw palmetto, Pygeum africana, and progesterone, are gradually reported and developed. However, most of the said herbs are limited in use due to their inefficient effects (as an example, lycopene and pumpkin seeds being less effective in the therapy of prostate disease), poor extraction rate or origins (saw palmetto and Pygeum africana being difficult to obtain, as being available in Africa, and coast of Atlantic and Caribbean only). Also, similar to the said drugs, the said traditional herbs will cause some side effects, stomach discomfort, nausea, constipation or diarrhea caused by saw palmetto (reference being available at: http://liaozhai.pujia.com/thread-500003-1.html) for instance. In such, the said traditional herbs are limited in practical use.
Hence, it is needed to provide a new herbal product, having significantly therapeutic effects on prostate diseases, and capable of being further developed in clinical therapy or prophylaxis of prostate diseases.
Asplenium nidus L. is a species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae, native to tropical southeastern Asia, eastern Australia, Hawaii, Polynesia, Christmas Island, India, and eastern Africa. Recently Asplenium nidus L. has been widely cultivated and developed in Taiwan. Generally, Asplenium nidus L. is commonly sold as house plants, being a vegetable rich in various nutrients and dietary fibers, and also it has been used locally in folk medicine to prevent from hypertension, asthma, diabetes, constipation and colorectal cancer. Yet, a therapeutic use of Asplenium nidus L. on prostate diseases has not been well-studied and reported.